Helping an outdoor/semi-feral cat acclimate to a home?

smosmosmo

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I posted previously about a cat my boyfriend's been taking care of at his workplace - we've been spending the week boarding her after trapping her on Monday, and FINALLY have a plan for her. Unfortunately we weren't able to get outside help, but my boyfriend's mom stepped up in a huge way and offered to take her. She lost her senior cat recently and has been looking to find her other kitten a friend, and pretty much let my boyfriend know she's willing to adopt the cat. She already has some knowledge on introducing cats but isn't familiar with dealing with outdoor/semi-ferals though, so I wanted to make sure we help her get it right.

My boyfriend's on his way now to pick up the kitty from boarding, and he's heading to his mom's place with a lot of new cat supplies (litter stuff, food, etc). He also bought some Cat Attract to mix into the litter, since as far as we know this cat's lived outdoors most of her life. She was actually stolen from a neighbor and dumped at my boyfriend's work by one of their old employees but was somehow spayed along the way, and she's been getting fed regularly by people since she was a kitten - she doesn't seem feral, but the boarding techs have described her as very withdrawn. As far as we know she's only been pet once by one person, but she does "tame" things - she'll tap on the door at mealtimes, meow at the person who feeds her most frequently, and seems to enjoy people-watching. We're hoping this means she'll warm up more once she's in a home environment.

We'd really appreciate tips on how to make her more comfortable, especially since there will be the added stress of having another cat in the house (he's male and probably around 6-8 months old now). Also, apart from using Cat Attract is there an ideal way to make sure she learns to use her box properly? My boyfriend's mom is concerned about her eventually having accidents on her carpet, so I want to make sure she's properly litter trained from the get-go.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read - I wanted to update on the situation since we're so relieved at how everything turned out.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi!
About the litterbox, if she's unsure, sometimes a little bit of unfertilized potting soil might help in addition to the Cat Attract.

There are some things in this article that might be of use;
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment – Cat Articles

And this should also help;

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – Cat Articles

Try some music; Spotify has 10 harp pieces called Cat In My Arms, and there are other sources of cat music to help relax her. If needed there might be something here;

Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Also, there is ThunderWunders calming chews, Naturevet Hemp, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat
 
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FeebysOwner

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Hi. All of the above good info from Furballsmom Furballsmom . But, a lot of cats acclimate to a litterbox pretty easily. See if it is a problem first - maybe place some puppy pee pads around the litter box, just in case. If she doesn't use the litterbox, go to the suggestions posted above, and the links below.

You need to give her safe room away from the resident cat and get her accustomed to being in that room first and with your mom, and then parts of the house, before even addressing the introductions to the resident cat. She has to be comfortable with your mom and her new home/surroundings first and foremost. However long that takes...

The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know – Cat Articles
16 Experts Reveal The Most Common Litterbox Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them) – Cat Articles
 

molly92

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It might be good to keep her in a bathroom at first if she has a spare one. Easy to clean, and a small enough space that it's not overwhelming as long as she has enough towels and a box to hide in.

It will take time, patience, and work to acclimate a frightened cat to a life indoors as a companion, but I think this cat has a good chance if your boyfriend's mother is willing.

I really like this step by step guide: How to Socialize Very Shy or Fearful Cats
You do not need to use a cage specifically, but usually the cat will find a hiding place so it's good to provide something like a box or carrier that you can still work with them through an opening. You can adapt the guide to whatever level the cat is at.
 
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smosmosmo

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Thank you everyone for taking the time to send these links! So he picked her up from VCA a couple hours ago and transported her to his mom's - they're planning on putting her in the bathroom until she acclimates, and his mom has a spare room she can put her in after that. According to the VCA techs she's been great about using her litterbox, so fingers crossed that won't be an issue. They also mentioned that she seemed defensive but she doesn't seem like an aggressive cat at all - apparently she's already drowsing away at his mom's place? He's reported back to me and said she almost fell asleep while they were looking at her in her carrier, so hopefully she's feeling a little more relaxed with them.
 
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smosmosmo

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fionasmom fionasmom She seems to be settling in already! His mom went in to clean her litterbox today and she'd already peed - it's amazing she felt comfortable enough to use her box after less than a day of being there. She's also already talking to my boyfriend's mom - she didn't want to be touched but meowed sadly as his mom was leaving the bathroom, which is nuts (my own cat took a couple years to start talking to me). Apparently she's been exploring the bathroom enough to be hanging out in the sink too, since his mom found black cat hairs in there. She's also using the little cat house they put in the tub for her and I think she's eaten a little of the dry food they left out for her, so I think she's making herself at home!
 

Joan M

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It might help her get used to his mom if she takes a book or a magazine in there and sits on the floor and reads it, basically ignoring the cat and giving her the opportunity to see this person is safe and isn't going to come after me.
 
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smosmosmo

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Wanted to update with a photo - here she is hanging out in the sink, not even two days after being home? His mom went in to check on her this morning and found her lounging casually in the sink - this is a pretty good sign, yes? I expected her to be sweet based on how my boyfriend's described her, but thought she'd be hiding from everybody for a while.

Here's a picture of little Petunia enjoying her sink:

pete.jpg
 

FeebysOwner

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Thanks for the pic! It is a good sign, but is there anywhere else for her to hide where she is at? If not, that might be why the sink - kind of like a cradle/bed to her, and she is somewhat 'protected' by it. You can try to set up a box with some towels/bedding in it to see if she would prefer that, but you know how cats are - if you make them a place to lay in, they rarely ever think it is a good idea!
 
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smosmosmo

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FeebysOwner FeebysOwner Yes, we got her a covered cat house/bed that we put in the tub, so she does have a nice hiding place. That's why I'm surprised she's choosing the sink over that - it's uncovered and she knows she's out in the open there. According to his mom, Petunia was hiding in the cat house this morning then appeared in the sink when she went in to check on her a little while later. It's like she came out to say hello 😊
 
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